Health And Safety

Health And Safety

Tips For Summer

Water safety in sports is principally a matter of knowing the safety precautions and observing them. Deaths by drowning could be cut down to almost none if swimmers would observe a few rules — never swim alone, or at night except in well-lighted pools, or Just after eating, or when overly tired. Deaths and injuries from diving could be virtually eliminated if divers would take the trouble to know where they were diving. How deep is the water? Are there any underwater obstructions? Diving accidents almost always are caused by diving into shallow water or unfamiliar water. Water skiing — a sport that is growing rapidly in popularity — need not be hazardous. The skipper of the boat should know what he is doing, avoiding dangerous high speeds and skimming too close to docks, other boats and obstructions. Preferably, there should be a second man in the boat, and, very important, the skiier should wear a life belt to keep him afloat if he is winded by a smashingfall. Underwater swimming and spear fishing with artificial breathing apparatus, is another sport that is gaining in popularity. Here again, knowing how to swim well, how to use the aqualung and how to handle oneself under water will prevent most accidents. In boating accidents, the cardinal safety rule is -.stay with the boat. Someone will be along eventually to pick you up, and a long swim to the shore is beyond the capacity of all but a few highly trained athletes. Sunburn, the universal hazard of water sports, also can be avoided or minimized by using common sense — don’t stay out in the hot sun too long. Knowledge of artificial respiration, with emphasis on the new mouth-to-mouth method, will save many people from succumbing to drowning. It isn’t very difficult to apply artificial respiration, if you know how.'* There are few water safety problems that couldn’t 'be | avoided by the application | of common sense, coupled i with at least a cursory knowledge of safety rules.